Stop means for packing equipment



Nov. 25, 1969 A. J. WILD 3,479,791

STOP MEANS FOR PACKING EQUIPMENT Filed May 7, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet lINI/ENTOR ANTON J. W/LD NOV. 25, H y D STOP MEANS FOR PACKING EQUIPMENT3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 7, 1968 INVENmR ANTON J. W/LD.

ATTORNEYS New. 25, 1959 A. J. WILD STOP MEANS FOR PACKING EQUIPMENT 5Sheets-Shae: 3

Filed May 7, 1968 nv VENTOR A N TON a. W//. D

A TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,479,791 STOP MEANS FOR PACKINGEQUIPMENT Anton J. Wild, 968 Bonnell Court, Union, NJ. 07083 Filed May7, 1968, Ser. No. 727,203 Int. Cl. B65b 57/10 US. Cl. 53-61 6 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Equipment for packing articles in caseswherein article feeding means advance articles into channels in apacking head and onto article supporting strips carried by a packergrid. Sensing means in each channel are individually actuated when afull complement of articles fills that channel to prevent the articlefeeding means from pushing additional articles against those alreadyfilling the channel. Crowding, displacement and distortion of articlesin the channels is thereby eliminated. When all channels are filled withthe proper number of articles, the article supporting strips are movedto cause the articles to be transferred from the packing head to a case.

Related application This application is a continuation-in-part ofcopending application Ser. No. 631,756 but the invention also is adaptedfor use in equipment such as that shown and described in U.S. Patent No.3,325,967, for example.

Field of invention This invention is directed to equipment for packingarticles, such as bottles, cans and the like, in a predeter minedarrangement in a case or other receptacle and is designed particularlyto relieve the articles being arranged from the line pressure ofarticles being fed into the packing equipment whereby crowding anddisplacement of previously arranged articles is prevented.

It is common practice to provide packing equipment with a packing headhaving a plurality of parallel channels therein into which the articlesto be packed are moved by article feeding means. When each channel inthe packing head is properly filled with articles, some form of feelermeans or sensing device is operated to cause the articles to betransferred from the packing head into a case or receptacle. However, inorder to assure proper discharge of articles from the packing head andprevent crowding, displacement and distortion of the articles in thechannels by additional articles being advanced by the article feedingmeans, some form of stop means or article holding device is frequentlylocated adjacent the end of the article feeding means or the entrance tothe channels in the packing head.

The stop means heretofore provided for this purpose have not beenactuated until all of the channels in the packing head have been filledwith articles. However, the articles do not always move into the variouschannels in the same manner so as to fill all of the channelssimultaneously and in the same way. As a result one channel may befilled with articles before another is filled and the articles in achannel which has already been filled may be crowded, displaced ordistorted by the continuing line pressure exerted thereon by the articlefeeding means in urging additional articles into contact with thosealready filling the channel. This situation becomes particularlytroublesome when packing such articles as large and heavy plasticbottles or fragile articles or containers which may be distorted whencrowded and may even be punctured or broken if they are forcibly pressedagainst each other or against a feeler means or other element projectinginto a channel n the packing head.

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In accordance with the present invention this objection is overcome byproviding individual stop means associated with each channel to preventarticles from being urged into a channel already filled with articles.

The drawings FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a typical constructionembodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the construction illustrated in FIGURE1;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation of the construction shown in FIGURE 1 asseen from the right hand end of FIGURE 1.

Preferred embodiments In that form of the invention chosen for purposesof illustration in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the equipment hasa frame 2 supporting article feeding means such as a conveyor 4, whichserves to advance the bottles or other articles 6 from a suitable sourceof supply to a packing head 8. The packing head is provided with aplurality of parallel stationary dividers 10 which define parallelchannels 12a, 12b, 120, etc. into which the articles are moved by thearticle feeding means 4. As shown in FIGURE 1, the packing head 8, hasfour channels 12 and the channels are of such length that it willrequire six bottles or articles to fill each channel. When all of thechannels are thus filled with articles, the articles will be arranged inan orderly manner for transfer to a case or other container 15.

A packer grid 14 is located beneath the packing head 8 and is providedwith longitudinally extending parallel article supporting strips 16,which are normally positioned beneath the channels 12 so as to supportthe articles 6 as they are moved into the channels by the articlefeeding means. The packer grid 14 and article supporting strips 16 arepreferably movable transversely of the channels 12 under the action of apiston 18 or the like which may be controlled by an air cylinder 20 orother suitable means as disclosed in copending application Serial No.631,756. When thus moved, the articles filling the channels 12a, 12b,etc. and arranged in an orderly manner, are allowed to move downwardlyby gravity through the packer grid 14 and into a case or container 15located beneath the packer grid.

It is found in practice that when articles are fed into the channels ofa packing head by article feeding means such as the conveyor 4, one ormore of the channel 12a, 12b, 120, etc. may be filled with articlesbefore another channel is completely filled. Thus, the conveyor orarticle feeding means is generally driven continuously whereas thearticles on the conveyor may be displaced and interfere with one anotheras they are moved toward the channels causing delays or clogging of thearticles adjacent the entrance of one channel. At the same time thefilling of other channels with articles may take place promptly andwithout any such interference. Under such circumstances, the articlefeeding means will continue to push additional articles against thearticles in those channels which are already filled tending to cause thepreviously arranged articles to be displaced, distorted or jammed withinthe channels in a manner to interfere with the subsequent discharge ortransfer of the articles from the packing head to the container 15.

In accordance with the present invention this difiiculty is overcome byproviding individually operable article holding means 22a, 22b, 220,etc., associated with each of the channels 12a, 12b, 120, etc. in thepacking head. These article holding means are each operable to engage anarticle moved onto a supporting plate 24 adjacent the entrance to thechannel to prevent it from being urged further forward by the articlefeeding means and against the articles already filling the channel. Forthis purpose, a separate feeling means or sensing device 26a, 26b, 260,etc. is located in each channel adjacent the closed end 28 of thechannel so as to be engaged and operated by the foremost article in thechannel when the channel has been filled.

The feeler means illustrated in the drawings are in the form of elementssuch as fingers which are slidably movable on a plate 30 and withrespect to the end member 28 of the movable packer grid 14. The fingersare yieldably urged inwardly toward the channels by springs 34 topositions wherein the inner end of each finger 26 will be engaged by theforemost article 6a in the channel as it approaches the end member 28 ofthe packer grid 14. Thereafter, upon further movement of the foremostarticle into the channel under the action of the article feeding means4, it will move to its final position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1and corresponding to complete filling of the channel with articlesarranged in the proper positions for discharge from the packing head.During the latter movement of the foremost article 6a in its channel, itwill push the finger 26 outward against the action of the spring 34. Atthe same time the outer end 36 of the finger 26 will be moved intoengagement with a control device 38a, 38b, 380, etc, associated withthat channel. The control device is preferably an air valve mounted on abracket 40 secured to and movable with the packer grid 14.

Each control device 38a, 38b, etc. is connected by an individual airline 42 or the like to a corresponding holding means 22a, 22b, 22c, etc.mounted on a stationary support 44 and located above an articlepositioned on the supporting plate 24 adjacent the entrance to thechannels. The holding means preferably is in the form of a verticallymovable plunger which is movable downward under the action of an aircylinder 46 into engagement with the top of a bottle or article 6blocated on the plate 24 and beneath the plunger. Therefore, when thecontrol device 38 associated with any channel is actuated by the finger26 in that channel, the corresponding air cylinder 46 will be actuatedto move its article holding means downward into engagement with the topof the article 6b beneath the same so as to press the article downagainst the support plate 24. The article 6b adjacent the entrance tothat channel will then be prevented from being moved farther forward bythe article feeding means 4 in a manner to press against the articlesalready arranged in the channel. On the other hand, the article holdingmeans are each arranged to prevent the continued forward movement ofonly that article which is adjacent the entrance of a channel which isalready filled with articles and will not prevent the advance of otherarticles into other channels of the packing head 14.

The fingers 26, as shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings are each providedwith a notch or recess 48 spaced from the inner end of the finger. Thesenotches are positioned in alignment when all of the channels in thepacking head have been filled with articles and all of the fingers 26have been moved outward against the action of the springs 34 and intoengagement with the control devices 38. A bar 50 extends transversely ofthe channels above the fingers 26 and is pivotally mounted at 52 so thatit may be moved downwardly into the aligned notches 46 under the actionof gravity. A microswitch, air valve, or the like 56 is positioned to beengaged by an arm 54 connected to the bar 50 on downward movement of thebar to cause the air cylinder and piston 18 to be actuated to move thepacker grid 14 transversely of the channels in the packing head. Thearticle supporting strips 16 of the packer grid are thereby moved frombeneath the arranged articles in the channels 12 so as to permit thearticles to move downward past the article guiding fingers 58 carried bythe grid 14 to effect the transfer of the articles to the case or otherreceptacle 15 under the action of gravity.

In this way the equipment serves to assure the continued feeding ofarticles into all of the various channels of the packing head until allof the channels have been completely filled. At the same time theequipment also serves to prevent crowding, distortion or displacement ofthe articles within the filled channels and relieves the articles of theline pressure resulting from continued operation of the article feeding:means in advancing articles into unfilled channels. Moreover, theequipment is controlled so as to preclude movement of the packer gridand article supporting strips 16 to discharge articles from the packinghead to the case 15 until all channels have been completely filled andthe articles have been properly arranged and are free of line pressurewhich might interfere with such discharge.

The bar 50 has a cam element 60 carried thereby and positioned to engagea lifting member 62 upon transverse movement of the packer grid 14 andthe elements associated therewith. In this way the bar 50 will be raisedas the packer grid reaches the end of its transverse movement and thesensing fingers 26 will again be projected inwardly by the springs 34 soas to restore the elements to their active positions for a renewed cycleof operations. At the same time the grid 14 on reaching its articledischarging position will engage a micro switch or other device 64 whichserves to release the plungers or elements of the air cylinders 20, 46and 38 and restore the packer grid and other operational devices totheir original positions to permit a further complement of bottles orarticles to be received and arranged for packing in another case.

The form and construction of the packing head and packer grid can bevaried as desired, but as shown and described above, the packer grid andarticle supporting strips are formed as a movable unit which areoperable in the manner set forth in applicants copending application,S.N. 631,756. In this construction the sensing elements control devicesand related elements are all mounted on and movable with the packergrid. However, the invention is equally applicable to constructions ofthe type disclosed in applicants issued Patent No. 3,325,967 wherein thepacker grid and article guiding fingers are held in fixed positions withrespect to the channels in the packing head and only a control framewhich carries the articles supporting strips is moved transversely toeffect the discharge of articles under the control of sensing elementsengageable by the foremost article in each channel.

It will be apparent that other embodiments and modifications of thepresent invention are possible.

I claim:

1. Equipment for packing articles in containers comprising a packinghead having stationary dividers defining a plurality of parallelchannels, feedingmeans for moving articles to be packed into saidchannels, a packer grid, article supporting means associated with thepacker grid and located beneath said channels, said article sup portingmeans being movable into and out of position to support articles movedinto the channels by said feeding means, a separate sensing elementassociated with each of said channels and movable to a predeterminedposition by the foremost article in said channels when the channel isfilled with articles, a separate article holding means associated witheach of said channels and positioned to engage an article locatedadjacent the entrance to such channel to prevent further movementthereof toward said channel by the article feeding means, the articleholding means associated with each channel being actuated upon movementof the sensing element associated with that channel to saidpredetermined position, and means operable when all of said sensingelements have moved to said predetermined positions to move said articlesupporting means out of said position wherein they support articles insaid channels so as to effect the transfer of articles from said packinghead to a container.

2. Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein there is an articlesupporting plate located adjacent the entrance to each of said channelsand said article holding means are individually movable downward intoengagement with an article located beneath the same and on said plate toprevent said feeding means from continuing to urge articles toward thosearticles filling said channels.

3. Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein said packer grid and articlesupporting means are movable together transversely of said channels intoand out of an article supporting position, and means responsive tomovement of all of said sensing elements to said predetermined positionsoperable to move said packer grid out of said article supportingposition so as to effect the transfer of articles from the packing headto a receptacle.

4. Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensing elements arecarried by said packer grid.

5. Equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensing elements are inform of elements yieldably urged into positions wherein the inner endsthereof project into said channels and the outer ends thereof aremovable into position to actuate control means upon movement of anarticle into engagement with the inner end of the finger, said controlmeans each being connected to one of said article holding means toactuate the same.

6. Equipment as defined in claim 5 wherein said elements each have apart thereon which are moved into alignment when all of said channelshave been filled with articles, and a member actuated upon alignment ofsaid parts to cause said article supporting means to be moved out ofsaid article supporting position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS TRAVIS S. McGEHEE, PrimaryExaminer

